Friday, August 10, 2012

Ry Cooder: Romney Is a 'Dangerous Man'

We spotlight the new "political" album Election Special by the legendary guitarist and writer Ry Cooder a couple of weeks back, after The New Yorker spilled the beans on it (now it's been released). Now he's done an interview with The Guardian in which he says, among other things:

--"First of all, you can't believe the media. You know that. I know it and you know it."

--"So in case anybody thinks Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin are clowns because they misspeak or don't know their history or they say silly things: that's just an act, and it's a useful act. Everything is a distraction from the core truths which are, first of all, that corporations have taken over the country. This right now is the time of decision in this country. There's no other way to look at it. This is it. This is the most critical time in the history of the country, for chrissakes."

--"Romney is as bad as anyone can be. He's a dangerous man. He's a cruel man. He's a perfect creation for what the Republican party is all about. And that is to say, a rapacious capitalist."

-- On Obama: "He's set upon by dogs. He's prevented from doing anything because the Republicans ensured that no president and no Democrat president can ever do good again."

-- "So what I'm trying to do with these little songs I write is say: let's look at this a different way. I don't write books and give speeches but with a four-minute song you can use allegory and other means to suggest a different point of view.It's like looking around the corner, and that's what songs are good at sometimes. They hit you with a new thought – assuming that people will listen. For instance, I like that idea that the Koch brothers made a deal with Satan down at the crossroads."

New Edition of U.S. vs. Pvt. Manning Book

About Me

G.M. is the author of more than a dozen books (click on covers above and below), the longtime editor of Editor & Publisher and until recently a daily writer for The Nation. Email: epic1934@aol.com. Twitter: @GregMitch